Wild Rice Cranberry Stuffed Squash

Today is a break from vegan Bon Appetit for another original recipe.

I've been making efforts to get through my stash of winter squash, yet the butternuts and delicata always seem to be the first to go. I've had an acorn squash sitting around staring at me for a few weeks now and decided it was time for the stares to end.

One of my favorite fall combinations is wild rice and winter squash. I thought that the perfect use for the acorn would be to stuff it with a beautiful pilaf. In this case, I made it a fruity, nutty wild rice pilaf and it was delish!

The wonderful thing about acorn squash is that because of its general size and shape, you have a couple of options for cutting it for a beautiful presentation.  For larger serving sizes, cut it in half lengthwise; and, for smaller/ more plentiful servings, slice into rings, about one inch thick.

Wild Rice Cranberry Stuffed Squash 
Ingredients
1 medium size acorn squash, cut in half or sliced in 1" rings, seeds scooped out
2 Tablespoons olive oil, divided
1 Cup cooked wild rice
2 Tablespoon shallots, minced
2 cloves garlic, minced
1/2 C crimini mushrooms, quartered and thinly sliced
small bunch arugula, chopped (about 1 Cup)
1/4 Cup dried cranberries
1/4 Cup walnuts, toasted and roughly chopped
salt and pepper to taste
roasted walnut oil, optional

Directions
Preheat oven to 400.

Arrange cut squash on a parchment lined baking sheet, rub a small amount of olive oil over the surface of cut squash and sprinkle with salt and pepper.  If cutting squash in half, start baking cut side down.  or 15 - 20 minutes, until slightly tender.

Meanwhile, in a medium skillet, heat 1 tablespoon of the olive oil over medium heat. Add shallots and saute for about 3 or 4 minutes, until softened and translucent. Add garlic and cook for another minute. Add mushrooms and saute for about 5 minutes, until they release their moisture and start to darken, adding a little bit of the remaining olive oil if needed if they stick.  Add arugula and saute until just wilted.

Stir in wild rice, walnuts and cranberries, remove from heat and set aside until squash ready.

Remove squash from oven, gently flip each piece. Spoon equal amounts of pilaf into each squash piece, pressing gently to pack and fill tightly, then spoon a little extra in a looser manner on top.  If you have left over pilaf, refrigerate for later use.

Return stuffed squash to the oven and roast for another 15 minutes, until squash is cooked through and pilaf is slightly crispy on top. Using a spatula, carefully move squash pieces to plates, drizzle with a small amount of walnut oil and garnish with additional chopped walnuts and cranberries. Walnut oil is not necessary, but adds an extra depth of flavor.